SMALL PEWEE. 
289 
f shirr. It possesses all the habits of the King-bird, 
catches bees, flies, and moths, exhibits a variety of quiv- 
ering motions, and defends its nest with great courage 
against the approach of larger birds, 
The nest of the Small Pewee is usually fixed in the 
slender, upright forks of a young forest tree, from 6 to 20 
or 30 feet from the ground. I have also found the nests 
on the horizontal branch of an apple tree or forest tree. 
In most instances, in the woods, a gloomy, solitary situa- 
tion is chosen. The materials of this fabric vary accord- 
ing to circumstances ; for the first brood, a very soft and 
warm nest is usually made of dry grass, willow, and cud- 
weed down, in large quantities, partly felted or mat- 
ted together externally with the saliva of the bird. 
Common tow, if convenient, is also occasionally em- 
ployed, when the nest is in an apple tree, for which 
some neighbouring graft is probably unravelled. They 
likewise sometimes employ bits of wool. The interi- 
or is usually formed of slender, narrow strips of bark, 
bass, and dry grass ; the lining is commonly of fine root 
fibres, slender tops of bent grass, and at times a few 
hairs and feathers. Occasionally the principal external 
material consists of strips or strings of silk-weed lint, and 
the bark of the common virgin’s-bower.* The nest is ex- 
tremely neat and uniform, resembling a complete hemi- 
sphere. The eggs are 5, and pure white. As nests may 
be found late in July, it is probable they have a second 
brood in the course of the season. They are extremely 
attached to their offspring, and keep up an incessant, 
almost choking tshedh fshedh, when any person approach- 
es towards the tree where they have their brood. The 
young and old now move about in company, and at this 
time feed on various kinds of berries, particularly those 
25 
Clematis virginiana. 
